A Thorn Covered Rose
by Celestial Starlet
Summary: Rose has liked Teddy for a long time now, but then Victoire swoops in and Teddy's falls for her. When Rose finds out something about Victoire that Teddy should know, what is a girl to do? Rose has to learn about love, life, and friends the hard way.
1. Chapter 1

"Rose! Hey Rose, you have to see this!" A smile crept on my face, like every time Teddy called my name. I was reading in the den; obviously he had come along with Lily and her brothers.

"Hello, Teddy," I said, steadying my voice so he wouldn't see how giddy he made me. "What is it you want me to see again?"

"Me, look at me." Finally I looked up from my book to see that Teddy had given himself green hair and orange polka dots, which harmonized with his hideous sweater.

"You… match?" I ventured. Normally he wouldn't get so worked up about matching.

"Look a bit closer, Rose."

"At what?"

"At me!" he repeated incredulously.

"Oh, honestly, Teddy! What am I supposed to be looking at?" As always, I grew exasperated with him because he wasn't very direct.

"It's his hands, Rosie," Lily explained, strolling into the room. She was my cousin and one of my best friends. However, she was two years younger than I was, so this would be her first year at Hogwarts. It was more than likely that we wouldn't be able to see that much of each other.

I glanced at Teddy's hands. They were… green and orange. "That's nice…" I hedged, not wanting to hurt Teddy's feelings at my utter lack of enthusiasm.

"It's cool, right?" Teddy's eager smile lit up his entire face. "I'm going to do it when we get back to Hogwarts, only with my house colors."

"Don't you dare, Teddy!" Lily exclaimed. "It's totally ridiculous."

"Oh, so if you don't like it, then it must be _really _cool." Lily rolled her eyes at me.

"Yeah, it's definitely awesome," James added, entering the den. He was a year older than me, the same age as Teddy. "I'm sure it will impress Victoire." He flicked Teddy's ears as he walked by. "Hi, Rose."

I nodded in answer, looking down at my book again. Victoire, oh how I loathed her. Teddy was obviously head over heels for the bloody girl, and it was almost certain that they were going to get together when we went back to school. Why couldn't he see that she was easy?

Suddenly, Albus appeared in front of me. "'Ello," He said. He was in the same year as I was, but in Hufflepuff while I resided in Ravenclaw Household. James was in Gryffindor, along with Teddy, of course. Victoire was in Hufflepuff with Albus.

"Can't believe we are in our third year now, how about you?" he questioned me, working up a fit of excitement like those he was prone to.

I shrugged, hoping my cousin could take the hint that I wanted to read. It didn't work, to my dismay.

"I've grown so much that I needed a new robe, so I got James's old one. It's much better than the one I used to have, less holes and all. What about you, did you get a new robe? Did you get taller? How's your cat, is she doing well? Is she old enough to take to Hogwarts this year? Or are you going to take a pet at all?" Albus continued rambling as I continued to lose patience.

Finally, when he pressed me about if I was going to wear black shoes or blue shoes on the train, I closed my book and stood up. "Albus, please," I started sternly, my hot temper fueling me.

I opened my mouth to go on, but Lily, recognizing the look on my face, jumped up and said, "Rose! Let's go see what the adults are doing."

"Oh, okay. I suppose I'll be left here…" I didn't catch the rest of what Albus was saying for Lily had dragged me out of the room.

I smiled weakly at her. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it. I mainly did it so that I wouldn't have to hear you two argue." Lily made a face. She stopped suddenly and asked, "Where's Hugo?"

I shrugged. "He's probably with Fred, doing Merlin-knows-what."

Lily looked horror-stricken, her pretty eyes widening beyond comparison. "_Fred's_ here?"

I merely chuckled. Fred was just like his father: crafty, prankish, and a _complete_ annoyance. Lily didn't like him much ever since he stuck a mud-covered frog down her blouse when she was five. Fred was in Gryffindor, and he, James, and Teddy made up an inseparable trio. "Come on now. At least Roxy is here with him. It could be much, much worse."

Lily brightened considerably at this. She and Roxanne would be entering the year together, and for Lily's sake, I hoped they would be in the same house. Hugo was entering the year with them. "Where is she?"

"Probably with the adults, smart girl." The truth was that I didn't know where she was, but she did like to hang out with the parents, so I went with that assumption. My guesses were usually pretty spot-on as my father once told me.

We entered the kitchen; it was large and spacious, and also pink. There was something cooking itself on the stove; whatever it was, it smelled sweet and fruity and delicious. As usual, Mother was bickering with Father. "What do you mean, 'I don't have a clue where Hugo is'?! He's _your_ son;_ you_ are supposed to look after him!"

"Well, if it helps 'Mione, Fred's gone, too. They are probably off together." Uncle George had the usual mischievous glint in his eyes. Mum, however, was not amused. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"_No, _that does _not _help." Her voice was clipped, fury in every word.

"Uncle Harry!" I called out, trying to break the tension. "Aunt Ginny!" The adults turned and faced us. I went up to all of my aunts and uncles and hugged them. After the hug-fest was over, I went back to Lily to see that she was talking animatedly with Roxy.

After a few minutes of conversation, Hugo was forgotten, and then there was a sudden _Pop!_.

Uncle Charlie arrived with Victoire. "Sorry for being late; Louis started to pitch a fit, and Fleur's stuck there taking care of the baby, poor thing. Dominique wanted to stay with them, so it'll just be the two of us."

The adults started to talk again; I think my mother said something about leaving the mother with the baby was rude of him when Victoire came up to us.

"'Ello, zare. 'Zis nice to zee you again, Rose, Lillian, Roxanne." Lily didn't point out that her name was not shortened, it was just Lily.

It took every ounce of manners I had not to roll my eyes at Victoire and her fake accent. She picked it up from her mother. Speaking of her mother, Victoire was exactly like her. Her beauty, her muscle, her brain. _Or lack thereof._ I failed at repressing a snicker.

Victoire narrowed her eyes at me but said nothing. It was obvious that we had mutual feelings for each other. She walked on by us, and I wished that Dominique had come instead of her. Dominique had the Weasley hair, but a veela-like face. She was considerably nicer than her sister and less stuck-up, always a bonus at family gatherings.

"Hello everybody." Hugo entered the kitchen, James accompanying him.

"HUGO!" Mother screeched. "Where have you been, honey?" She ran over to hug him.

"Out catching frogs," Fred supplied. Lily screamed loudly and raced out of the room. Fred watched her exit curiously. He grinned. "I was only kidding," he whispered to us. "We were smuggling dung bombs into our suitcases."

"Hi, Victoire," I turned to see Teddy shyly enter the packed room.

Victoire smiled widely. "'Ello, zare, Teddy, I have missed you."

His hair turned bright pink, which meant he was embarrassed. "Can I… Can I talk to you for a second?" He motioned over to the corner of the kitchen where it was slightly less chaotic.

Jealousy ripped at my soul, for I knew exactly what he was going to ask her.

I turned on my heel, leaving, so that I would not have to hear everyone fuss about how Teddy had _finally _asked _darling_ Victoire to go out sometime. I heard a squeal of excitement from Victoire and realized that my departure wasn't quick enough. "What a wonderful way to start a new year," I grumbled to myself, the sarcasm biting on others ears, but to me, it was simply appropriate.


	2. Chapter 2

Life could not possibly get any worse.

"I like you, you know," Teddy said to Victoire, google-eyed for her. The one upside of this "them-dating" thing was that he wasn't entangling us all in his schemes to impress her anymore. A small consolation, really…

"Well, eet eez I who likes you more." Victoire batted her pale eyelashes like a true French coquette.

It was all I could do not to groan. I had dumbly placed a bet with Fred… And lost, I should've known. But now, he was sitting shotgun; where I should be, and I was stuck between Teddy and Victoire for the entire ride to Kings' Cross. It was nauseating.

"That's not possible," Teddy grinned at Victoire.

"Yes, eet eez," She smiled back insistently.

I rolled my eyes, mumbling under my breath, "Eet eez I 'ou eez going to be seek."

Teddy was too deaf to hear me; however, Victoire heard me, and her grin wavered for a moment. Her eyes glinted with hatred at me, but I didn't care, just wished others could see through her little façade. In my peripheral vision, I saw Lily and Roxy snickering. I turned around and hissed, "Do you want to trade seats?" They grew silent at once, to my satisfaction, and shook their heads. "Then shut it, or we will." Their smiles disappeared after my telling-off, but the happiness stayed in their eyes.

While Teddy and Victoire went on blabbering about who loved each other more, Teddy bleating like a sheep that she couldn't "possibly love him more," I leaned back in my seat and thought of ways to dispose of Victoire. No way that I came up with was matched for the agony I was suffering through. I finally decided to kill myself by 

asphyxiating on a Chocolate Frog when Fred turned towards me and asked merrily, "Having fun, are we?"

Contrary to my parent's beliefs, I am not made of such strong stock when it comes to temper. I leaned forward and growled in his ear such vulgar things that his face lost color. He turned around and didn't say anything for a full five minutes. Finally, Dad, who was driving, glanced first at my cousin, his face wan, then looked at me in the rearview mirror and asked, "How'd you do you manage that?" I shrugged. I wasn't about to reveal the source of my brilliance.

The car door opened, and I scrambled out the door, yearning for land, hitting Victoire in the face 'accidentally' as I stumbled out. I didn't bother to apologize because I was in such a hurry to get to the fresh air and away from Dad's driving, which stirred the nausea brewing in my stomach quite nicely. I felt her eyes glaring at me through the back of my skull, but it was then I saw my two best friends, Cora Lovegood and Alice Longbottom. I smiled and raced to meet them. They were as good as land any day.

"Hello, Rosie. It's nice seeing you again…" Cora's breezy voice was a relief to hear after Victoire's slightly nasal one.

"Hi, Rose." Alice gave me a smile that was a carbon copy of her father's, cheerful and kind.

I opened my mouth to speak when my father approached with my luggage. "Come on, now," He said gruffly. "It's almost eleven." He looked almost relieved to be seeing us off, especially Fred, who still was retaining his sunlight-deprived countenance.

We all started to catch each other up on our summers: Cora spoke of how _the Quibbler _was doing, Alice of her father's Herbology studies, and I of what happened with our annual Weasley-Potter family trip.

Before we knew it, we had said good bye to our parents and were on the Hogwarts Express, and we were lucky enough to claim the last empty compartment.

I opened my mouth to tell them about the horrific ride over here, when the glass door slid open. To my great surprise, a tall, lanky, greasy-haired Slytherin walked in. I blinked, all words gone. Cora spoke first. "Hello, Scorpius. Nice of you to join us, really."

He stared at Cora for a moment, unsure of whom she was. Or maybe he was just wondering why on Earth he went to a Ravenclaw-filled compartment. I wondered as well, giving him a look. Maybe he'd get the hint to keep out. Finally, he opened his mouth to speak. It was worth a try, I thought dejectedly.

"Ermh…"

"Quite an intelligent remark," I giggled.

He scowled. "All of the other compartments were full, so now I get to honor you lot with my presence." He stared at Alice and snorted.

She looked a bit insulted by this. "You're that doofus Longbottom's daughter, right?" I take it back; if Alice was insulted before, she was highly offended now. He barely glanced at me. "Weasley," he scoffed. He stared at Cora, but he still didn't seem to place her.

"Cora. Cora Lovegood," Cora said cheerfully, not noticing that he was insulting us.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then a bemused look came across his face. "I thought your mother's last name was Lovegood."

"Oh, it is."

"No, I mean before she was married." He looked slightly irritated.

"My mother's last name has always been Lovegood." Cora smiled up at him, oblivious to his confusion. When Scorpius didn't say anything, she added nonchalantly, "My father took her name."

Scorpius knitted his eyebrows in confusion. "Why?"

"Because. Oh, look, I think that's a Jobberknoll." Cora was looking out the window.

"Why?" Scorpius repeated looking stupider than Martha Stewart in the city dump.

"Because," Cora said in surprise, "it had blue feathers, and it looked rather honest to me."

"I don't care about the Jobberknoll!" Scorpius exclaimed. "Why didn't your mother take your father's last name?"

"You don't have to shout," Cora complained, rubbing her ears. "He took her name because his last name was unbearable."

"What was it?"

"The Jobberknoll?" Scorpius looked ready to scream at the poor girl. I chuckled, but I decided to help her out. This time anyway…

"Her father's last name was Hunklesnorp. He got teased rather often, and he would rather be called Loony than that." I smiled knowingly at Scorpius.

Scorpius almost smirked back. Almost being the key word here. His attention was directed to a couple passing by the compartment. It was Teddy and Victoire.

Oh, no. Teddy slid open the door and they both walked inside. "Zare eez no more zeats," Victoire griped. She looked surprised by the fact that Scorpius was in here with us Ravenclaws. "Why are you in here?"

"Same reason you are," Scorpius growled lowly. He obviously didn't like the arrangement anymore than I did.

I started back on contemplating ways to end my life so I didn't have to put up with more of Victoire when Teddy plopped down next to me. "'Ello, Rose. We didn't get to talk much at your house, so what's up?"

I smiled meekly. I was very tempted to say that we didn't talk because he had been with Victoire, but I decided on making conversation. I began to describe the horrors of the Weasley trip, filling Teddy in on what I had already told Alice and Cora, and I noticed Victoire was stuck beside Scorpius, scowling.

I wondered for a moment if she was jealous that I had Teddy's attention and paused in my storytelling, just to revel. A girl's got to have her kicks sometime. Scorpius took this lapse to interrupt and ask Victoire, "Are you two… together?" I followed his gaze. He was looking at Victoire's and Teddy's intertwined hands.

"Yes, yes we are." Teddy grinned like a maniac. I decided I didn't like that grin right off.

Scorpius said nothing, just sat facing forward with a frown. I wondered which made him more nauseated: being stuck in a compartment filled with everyone but Slytherins or being stuck next to a love-sick Victoire.

I was about to suggest that we both suffocate on Chocolate Frogs when it occurred to me that maybe he'd prefer a Sugar Quill…


End file.
